Shatter
by Lady Brick
Summary: Fariy tales never really end until there is a happily ever after. Stories change shape depending on the storyteller. And true princes never rest until all of the princesses have been rescued. *In Progress*
1. The Page Turns

{Once upon a time, there was a princess-}  
  
[That's not how it goes.]  
  
{Hey, will you let me finish? Okay, once there was a princess,   
who decided that she wanted to become a prince-}  
  
[I don't think she was ever a princess. And besides, that isn't   
a good place to start.]  
  
{Fine. If *you're* so smart, then *you* tell the story.}  
  
[All right, I will.]  
  
{Fine.}  
  
[Once upon a time, there was a prince who strove to fill the   
world with light, and made it his goal to bring joy to all the   
princesses everywhere. However, a prince can only ever truly be   
a prince to one princess, perhaps saving a few more along the   
way. The world scorned his efforts, and in a fit of anger, took   
his most precious jewel from him, his sister. And the fallen   
prince decided that since he couldn't make the world happy, he   
would make the world his. But with the loss of his nobility, his   
greatest power was broken.]  
  
{What power would that be?}  
  
[Love. Pure, true, undiluted love is the most powerful thing in   
the world. But his had been weakened by being spread too thin,   
and then was finally lost. You can try to save all of the   
princesses of the world, but if you do not ever truly know them,   
how can you love them?]  
  
{Point.}  
  
[Anyway, so the fallen prince tried to use the dreams and hopes   
of others to regain his power. But since he had forgotten what   
love was, if he had ever really known, he couldn't see that their   
emotions were selfish and flawed, and incapable of ever accessing   
such power. But then one came along with a truly noble heart;   
one he was sure could regain his power for him.]  
  
{And *that* is the princess who wanted to be- OW!}  
  
[*I'm* telling the story, remember?]  
  
{You didn't have to *hit* me!}  
  
[However, because of her purity, she detested everything the   
fallen prince stood for, and they fought an epic battle in the   
sky. The prince's power was released in order to save the   
princess, who was set free and lived happily ever after. The   
fallen one never understood what had happened, and spent the rest   
of his days trying to regain that which no longer existed.]  
  
{And the prince? The real one I mean, who freed the power. The   
girl.}  
  
[Ah yes, her. The world she had lived in forgot her. No one   
knew what ever became of her. And that is where the story truly   
begins.]  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
Shatter  
  
A Shoujo Kakumei Utena Fanfiction  
  
By Lady Brick  
  
www.mindeclipse.com  
  
Part 1 - The Page Turns  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
He watched them from his perch above the world.  
  
They milled far below, indistinguishable, insects. Yet he knew   
each one, their name, their mind, their soul. This was his   
world, and they were his creatures. Each one was so trapped   
amidst their longings and desires, they never realized how weak   
it made them. Impure, cracked, some even broken beyond repair.  
  
He reveled in it.  
  
Yet in the end, they were all useless. Even the strongest, those   
consumed, fused by their longings, were still so easily   
shattered. Nothing more than toys, really, played with for a   
while, and then discarded out of boredom.  
  
Except for one.  
  
He could see her in his mind's eye, shining, pure. In all of his   
long existence, he had never seen another quite like her, so   
innocent, untouched, unbreakable. Well, perhaps he had, but he   
didn't care to remember that one.  
  
It was a paradox really. He hated her purity, it repulsed him,   
and yet he needed it to reach the power that had been lost to   
him. And yet again, he would have to burn away just a touch of   
that strength, that nobility, before he could fully utilize it   
for his own means. Just to bend her, a bit. The breaking would   
come later.  
  
He stepped away from the window, the wind outside giving his pale   
hair one final tug. Strolling behind his desk, he immersed   
himself in the boring, mundane paperwork that had been waiting   
patiently for him all morning. Of course, his power was such   
that he would never be forced to resort to such lowly means to   
truly run the school, his world, but it amused him to play   
according to their rules, and still come out on top.  
  
Or so he told himself.  
  
One memo caught his eye. A note from the head teacher about   
meeting with a new student later that afternoon. Student   
transfers were not that unusual, even this far into the term.   
And he often did meet with the new students, both as a friendly   
gesture to show that those in charge of the school were   
accessible, and for his own purposes of learning if there were   
any new candidates worthy of wearing his rose seal.  
  
The odd thing about it was, this was the first he had heard of   
it.  
  
Ohtori was his world, nothing ever happened without his knowledge   
of it. Normally he would not be concerned, but his plans were   
beginning to ripen quickly, and he would take no chances that   
anything would disturb them. It was possible that, concerned   
with more important matters, he had simply let a few things slip   
by. But he wasn't willing to stake all he had worked towards on   
it.  
  
The Revolution was quickly approaching. And, under his watchful   
eye, nothing would stop it.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
"Do you think he will figure it out?"  
  
"He is too blinded by the power he believes he possesses. He   
won't realize anything until it is too late."  
  
"But he..."  
  
"He is trapped within his own illusions, as much as those he   
manipulates. He won't even consider it a possibility."  
  
A pause.  
  
"Does he love her? Even a little."  
  
"He doesn't know what that means anymore."  
  
"I had hoped that perhaps... no, I knew. I'm sorry. I guess I'm   
just a little scared."  
  
"I know. I'll be here, though. Don't worry."  
  
"I'll worry until this is over."  
  
A pause.  
  
"I know. And perhaps you are the wiser of us for it."  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
A pale-haired girl stepped through the gates of Ohtori, barely   
avoiding being trampled by a herd of excited elementary school   
students heading to class. She took one glance around, absently   
smoothing her long gray skirt, tucking back a strand of hair that   
had escaped its tidy bun, then spotted a group of middle school   
students. Hesitantly at first, and then with a slightly more   
assured step, she approached them.  
  
"Excuse me," she began, "I don't mean to bother you, but I just   
transferred to this school, and I-"  
  
One of the younger girls turned towards her, a brunette with a   
jaunty ponytail pulled far back from her face and a smile that   
shone through her bright brown eyes. "Do you need help at all?   
I, Shinohara Wakaba, will gladly assist you!" Seemingly   
forgetting her friends, she latched onto the older girl's arm.   
Staring at the enthusiastic middle schooler, the girl in gray   
struggled with herself for a moment before finally relaxing and   
revealing her own small smile.  
  
"Thank you very much, Shinohara-san." With her free arm, she   
retrieved a sheet of paper from her blazer pocket. "I am   
supposed to meet with the school chairman, according to this."  
  
"The Chairman? Wow, he's so incredibly cu- I mean, my best   
friend lives with him and his younger sister... I can show you   
the way."  
  
"Your best friend?"  
  
Wakaba nodded vigorously. "Utena-kun is my best friend.   
Although she hasn't been around much recently..." Her eyebrow   
spasmed momentarily, then calmed. "And that is why it is up to   
me to work hard to maintain the bonds of our precious   
friendship."  
  
The pale-haired girl frowned slightly. "Hasn't been around? Did   
she leave the school?"  
  
"Oh no! She is in class and everything, I just don't see her as   
much otherwise. And she never seems to hang around much with   
anyone else either. Even Hasukawa-san asked me the other day why   
Utena-kun never plays the basketball team anymore." Wakaba's   
somber demeanor suddenly fled. "Utena-kun is one of the best   
athletes in the school! She can beat the *whole* basketball team   
by herself. And she's so tall..." she craned her neck up at the   
pale-haired girl. "But I think you are even taller... Are you in   
the high school?"  
  
"Yes, 11th grade."  
  
"Ah, so that explains it. You're taller because you are older.   
I bet Utena-kun will be at least as tall as you when she is in   
11th grade- oh, here we are."  
  
Wakaba led her through an ornate wooden door emblazoned with the   
school's rose crest into a small, elegantly decorated lobby.   
There were a few small doors surrounding an elaborate metal   
grating. At a touch of a small button, the metalwork pulled   
apart, revealing an elevator.  
  
"Isn't this cool?" bubbled Wakaba as the elevator slowly rose.   
"Utena-kun is so lucky she gets to live with- I mean, in such a   
amazing place."  
  
The other girl nodded absently. She twisted her hands together   
in a somewhat nervous manner, fiddling with a gold ring on one of   
her fingers.  
  
The elevator gave a gentle chime as it arrived on the top floor,   
the doors separating to reveal a cavernous room with a giant   
planetarium projector seated in the center.  
  
"This has to be the coolest office ever, don't you think?" Wakaba   
asked. "I mean at the top of a tower, with a planetarium... it's   
like a fairy tale or something."  
  
The older girl didn't answer. She slowly stepped into room,   
leaving Wakaba alone in the elevator.  
  
"Good luck! And see you around!" Wakaba waved vigorously as the   
metal doors wove shut in front of her. She hoped she could still   
make it to class early enough to talk to Utena. She could tell   
her about-  
  
It was then she realized she had forgotten to ask the girl her   
name.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
"Mawahisa Kyoko." Ohtori Akio glanced at the paper caught in his   
hand, then at the pale girl in the gray uniform seated in the   
chair in front of his desk. She shifted uncomfortably under his   
scrutiny. It was almost refreshing to see someone who wasn't   
immediately drawn in by his presence. There were so few at this   
school who could sense something unusual about his presence, who   
seemed immune to his charms. It meant little to him if she was.   
Adoration and fear: both served his purposes equally well. "It   
says in your file that you spent that you have spent the last few   
years studying abroad?"  
  
Kyoko nodded once. "Yes. I found it necessary to return to   
Japan a few months ago. I have... a heart condition. It was too   
much of a strain away from home and my doctors."  
  
"Yes, we recently lost a student with similar condition." In his   
mind's eye, he saw the lanky, enigmatic duelist. He had had such   
high hopes for the boy, but in the end, he had relinquished his   
desires for another. Weak. "He insisted on pushing past his   
limits, despite warnings against attempting any strenuous   
physical activities. I hope that you will be more attentive to   
your health. I assume that you will not be participating in any   
of our intramural athletics."  
  
"No." Kyoko paused. "Actually, I have recently started taking   
horseback riding lessons... my doctor said that it was alright.   
I heard that Ohtori had a stable?"  
  
Akio gave a warm smile. "We have a first-class stable out by the   
forest. I often go riding myself. I'll contact the head hostler   
and let him know that you are to have full access."  
  
"Thank you." The words were barely a whisper.  
  
"Please let me know if there is anything else we can do to   
accommodate you," Akio said, studying her rather delicate   
features. She was really a lovely girl. Too bad she was of no   
real use to him. But at this point, he had more than enough   
pawns in his little chess game... too many pieces inevitably led   
to disorder. "I assume that the head teacher already gave you   
your room assignments and class schedule?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Well, I believe that is all for the time being then. Feel free   
to stop by again if you need to discuss anything, no matter how   
small. I am at your disposal." He held out a long-fingered   
hand, and she hesitantly clasped it. Her fingers were cold, and   
a gold ring she wore with some sort of raised motif bit somewhat   
painfully into his fingers. She withdrew her hand quickly, and   
looked at him with large, almost frightened eyes. They were an   
odd shade of gray, with hints of blue or hazel, he wasn't quite   
sure.  
  
"Thank you," she repeated, turning sharply and retreating towards   
the elevator. He watched her leave with some bemusement, then   
turned his attention back to more important matters that lay at   
hand.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
She crouched against the wall, her body wracked by sobs. She   
slipped a handkerchief out of her blazer pocket, wiping the tear   
tracks from her cheeks.  
  
"I can't do this," she whispered, seemingly to herself. "Coming   
back here, seeing everyone... it's too hard. And I didn't think   
she'd be here. I'll have to see them together... I don't want   
to! Why do I have to? Tell me!"  
  
She paused, silent, as if expecting answers to drop from the   
wind. Judging by the way her expression calmed, it appeared that   
they quite possibly had.  
  
"You're right, as usual. I do have to finish this, the whole   
stupid fairy tale game. The prince and the princess must live   
happily ever after, and the world's shell must be broken, and all   
of that crap. I'm sorry. I know what this means to you."  
  
She returned the handkerchief to her pocket and stood, quickly   
smoothing her uniform. In the back of her mind, she wondered if   
she would have to get one of those ridiculous Ohtori uniforms, or   
if her own would serve for her time here.  
  
She was about halfway to her dorm when her vision began to waver.   
She slowed down, took long, deep breaths. However, the pain   
began to come, first slowly, then in waves. The world fluttered   
in and out of focus.  
  
"Damnit," she gasped, feeling the papers slip from her shaking   
fingers. She had been feeling so much better as of late, to have   
another attack now... She stumbled, lost her balance.  
  
A hand clasped her shoulder firmly, steadying her. Gradually,   
the pain ebbed, and her eyes cleared. She knelt to get the   
papers she had dropped, but found they were already being held in   
front of her.  
  
"Thank you," she murmured, turning to see who her rescuer was.   
Her throat locked at the sight of the white uniform, sharp blue   
eyes, and long, red hair.  
  
"Always glad to assist a damsel in distress," Kiriyuu Touga   
replied, a slight smirk on his face.  
  
She only gaped in reply.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
"Himemiya? Something wrong?" Utena paused, noticing Anthy's   
attention was drawn outside the classroom window. Glancing out   
into the bright afternoon, she noticed the Student Council   
President speaking to a tall, elegant blond in a strange gray   
uniform. "Who is that?"  
  
Anthy finally snapped out of her brief trance. Turning to Utena,   
she gave a small smile.  
  
"Something different," she replied.   
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
{Are you sure you're telling the right story? I'm pretty   
familiar with this one, and I don't remember her. Hey, you   
aren't adding new characters all of a sudden, are you? That's   
cheating!}  
  
[The story is never the same. Endings always change, because   
once you reach the end, who wants to live the whole thing over   
again? Puppets cut their strings, shadows spring to life, and   
masks are traded. New faces can be old in disguised. After all,   
the story never ends, and never begins.]  
  
{...... was that supposed to make sense?}  
  
[It always does, at the end.]  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
Whatever you are thinking about this fic, it is probably wrong.  
  
With that said, "Shatter" should end up being five parts long...   
I'll go as far to say it WILL be five parts long, as carefully as   
I have plotted this out. Please don't form any mindsets about   
this story until all of the parts have been released and read.   
After all, "that is where the story truly begins." I'd say more,   
but I have probably already said too much. Comments and   
critiques are welcome and encouraged.  
  
Lady Brick  
lady_brick@yahoo.com  
  
Disclaimer: I did not create Utena and do not own any of the   
characters. Though I doubt anyone thought I did. 


	2. The Story Tangles

{Once upon a time, there was a school. No, that's not right. Once   
there was a girl–}  
  
[What do you think you're doing?]  
  
{Trying to recount the events of your story so far.}  
  
[I think I'm perfectly capable of doing that myself.]  
  
{All right. But I bet you no one will understand a word you say.}  
  
[Perhaps not everyone is as stupid–]  
  
{Don't you dare finish that sentence. Just recap.}  
  
[Once upon a time, there was a fallen prince who strove to fill the   
world with darkness, and made it his goal to regain the power he once   
possessed. However, when one stands on the edge of the world for so   
long, they can only see the abyss. No matter how strong the light that   
shines in their eyes, they are blinded by the darkness that consumes   
them, and cannot see the threat that lies ahead. And thus the world   
moves towards Revolution, not knowing whether Light or Darkness will   
prevail.]  
  
{And for those who didn't understand a word of that, a mysterious girl   
appeared for apparently no rational reason, and demonstrated behavior   
that made little sense.}  
  
[It makes perfect sense if you know the story. Masks can slip the   
tiniest bit, but the face will remain hidden from those who think they   
know what they will see. Games must be played according to the rules,   
but those rules can be bent by those who know them well enough. And   
fairy tales always have heroes, and the heroes always win. The trick   
is figuring out who the real hero is.]  
  
{Sure. And those who listen to the shadows long enough can hear them   
speak.}  
  
[See, you're starting to learn.]  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
Shatter  
  
A Shoujo Kakumei Utena Fanfiction  
  
By Lady Brick  
  
www.mindeclipse.com  
  
Part 2 - The Story Tangles  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
"Are you feeling better?"  
  
The pale-haired girl looked up at Touga and smiled wanly. He held out   
a cold can of soda, which she took with only the slightest hesitation.   
"Yes, thank you. You really didn't have to go to all this trouble.  
  
"Nonsense." He took a seat beside her in the grass, heedless of his   
spotless white uniform. "What sort of prince would leave a beautiful   
girl alone in such a state?"  
  
Kyoko's smile faded slightly at the question. She turned her gaze to   
the glistening white campus buildings, nearly blinding in the afternoon   
sunlight.  
  
Touga watched her thoughtfully, intrigued by her odd reaction. "What's   
the matter, Mawahisa, uncomfortable with flattery?"  
  
She looked at him sharply, her eyes narrowed. He couldn't quite make   
out their color in the brightness. "How did you–"  
  
He gave a small laugh. "I'm the Student Council President. Of course   
I'd know of the arrival of a new student. Though I had no idea you'd   
be so–"  
  
"You can stop. I've already been warned about you."  
  
"Oh really? And what have you been told?" he asked, somewhat bemused.  
  
"Campus playboy. Leaves a trail of broken hearts where ever he goes.   
I'm sure you've heard it all before."  
  
Touga tucked back a few strands of hair, not bothered by her harsh   
description in the least. "I'll have to track down your informant and   
discover what led them to so gravely misinterpret me. Probably one of   
Tenjou Utena's legion of admirers."  
  
Kyoko looked down at her lap. "Who's that?"  
  
"A very charming girl in the junior high school who has taken an   
unwarrantedly strong disliking to me." His smile briefly flickered,   
almost imperceptibly.  
  
"You sound as though you really like her."  
  
He lay back, looking up at the sky. "Even someone not given to emotion   
can care deeply for the right person." He glanced at Kyoko. She had   
turned to watching at him, and coloring slightly, she looked away.  
  
"Oi, Mr. President, you're in our spot."  
  
Touga shifted his gaze at the familiar voice, but didn't move   
otherwise. A slightly annoyed-looking Tenjou Utena, followed by the   
ever-present Himemiya Anthy, was approaching the shade of the tree they   
sat under. Anthy carried a large bento box.  
  
"Ah, Tenjou-kun. What a lovely surprise."  
  
Utena frowned down at him. "Don't give me that. You know we eat lunch   
here everyday. What are you trying to pull?"  
  
Touga's smile shifted into more of a cocky smirk while she spoke.   
"Really, Tenjou-kun, not everything has to do with you. I was merely   
assisting Mawahisa, who was momentarily ill. You should be a little   
polite... you'll give our new student a bad impression of Ohtori."  
  
Utena muttered something unintelligible. She then turned to Kyoko.   
"So you're new? I just transferred here this year myself."  
  
Kyoko gave a curt nod, but said nothing.  
  
"Utena-sama," Anthy broke in, "we have plenty of food. It wouldn't be   
polite to ask Kiriyuu-sempai and Mawahisa-sempai to leave if Mawahisa-  
sempai is feeling ill."  
  
Utena grumbled, but apparently couldn't come up with a reasonable   
argument. Reluctantly, she flopped down on the grass, next to Kyoko,   
avoiding Touga's gaze.  
  
Touga noticed Kyoko stiffen ever so slightly, and edge imperceptibly   
away from the younger girl. He quirked an eyebrow thoughtfully.  
  
"Something wrong, Mr. President?"  
  
"Not at all Tenjou-kun. Not since you-"  
  
"Can it."  
  
Touga laughed. "As I said," he told the sky conversationally,   
"charming."  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Utena did her best to ignore Touga, but had trouble speaking with the   
other two girls. Kyoko seemed unwilling to converse, answering any   
question directed at her with a brief, stilted answer. And Anthy...   
well, she was Anthy, as usual.  
  
"How's your food?" she asked. A muffled "chu" was her answer. Anthy   
had thoughtfully tucked ChuChu in his own small bento box, thus sparing   
their own lunch from his voracious appetite. She gave the engorged   
animal a tentative pat, somewhat nervous that he would burst.  
  
"That is quite an interesting ring you are wearing, Mawahisa-sempai,"   
Anthy said suddenly. "May I take a closer look?"  
  
Kyoko looked startled, then uncomfortable, but relented her hand to the   
younger girl for inspection. Utena looked over, afraid she would see   
yet another rose seal. Fortunately, her fears proved unfounded. The   
ring was gold with some sort of raised relief design, worn on her   
middle finger. On second glance, Utena realized the motif actually was   
a rose, only modeled to look like a real flower with open petals,   
nothing like the stylized outline of the seals.  
  
"That's very lovely," Touga murmured, taking her hand in his own for a   
closer look. Utena noticed the older girl flushed slightly.  
  
"It was given to me by an old friend," Kyoko said. "I met her at one   
of the schools I attended... she gave this to me to remember her by   
when she found out I was coming to Ohtori.  
  
"It suits you very well. Delicate and elegant."  
  
Looking even more uncomfortable at Touga's attention, Kyoko withdrew   
her hand back to the safety of her lap. Utena was glad he had stopped   
spouting that crap in her direction, at least momentarily.  
  
Anthy broke in unexpectedly. "Mawahisa-sempai, did you ever   
considering wearing your hair down?"  
  
Kyoko stared back at her, almost challengingly. "Have you?"  
  
Anthy merely smiled benignly and went back to picking delicately   
through her yakisoba.  
  
"So, um, has Nanami settled back in yet?" Utena asked, now   
uncomfortable enough to try to change the subject. Later, she would   
have to ask her roommate why she was acting so oddly. Even for her.   
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Kyoko walked silently through the hall of the dorm, ignored by the   
other students. She approached her door, then paused, her eye caught   
on a figure down the hall.  
  
The girl wore a stylish dress instead of the standard uniform, laughing   
gently and brushing back her seafoam hair. She sat amongst a small   
group of friends who gazed at her with unabated adoration.  
  
Kyoko's eyes softened. She looked so happy. But... She bit her lip   
and then hurried into her room, closing the door hard behind her and   
the tall shadows that awaited her.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
The silk sheets were slightly cold against his bare back. His eyes   
focused on the ceiling, but as always, he was acutely aware of his   
companion.  
  
"Mawahisa Kyoko. I hear you met her today." Ohtori Akio's deep voice   
rang out unnaturally loud in the large space.  
  
"Yes. A very interesting girl."  
  
"Rather lovely." The statement was left dangling, obvious bait.  
  
"Yes. Though not as much as some." If Ohtori thought he would give   
up this easily, he still didn't know him very well at all.  
  
Akio gave a deep-throated laugh. "Speaking of 'some', I would like you   
to pick up a gift for me if you could..."  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
"She knows."  
  
"Does that surprise you? After what you did for her, you think she   
would fail to recognize you in whatever form you took?"  
  
"I guess not. But it worries me."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"She could tell him."  
  
"I doubt it. He still has a hold over her, true. But it isn't as   
strong as he thinks it is. She won't volunteer the information. Maybe   
if he asked her directly... but again, I doubt he will."  
  
"I have to get her away from him. As soon as possible."  
  
"Don't worry. You'll have your opportunity soon enough. And I'll   
watch over her in the meantime."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
A small laugh. "No, thank you. You know this means more to me than it   
ever could to you."  
  
"I know. But still... thank you."  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Akio strode swiftly through a small copse of trees towards the gleaming   
white stables. As he drew closer, he noticed the stable door had been   
left open. He raised an eyebrow. Although the stable was open to all   
students, few chose to.  
  
He passed through the shadowed doorway and caught sight of Kyoko,   
standing at the stall of a beautiful black gelding, looking as thought   
she were unsure what the animal was used for.  
  
"Kyoko-san, do you need any assistance?" His lip twitched as the girl   
jumped noticeably.  
  
"Ah, Mr. Chairman," she answered, her voice wavering. "I was just   
looking for a hostler."  
  
"Please, call me Akio. Is there anything I can do to help?"  
  
She didn't meet his eyes. "Well, it's rather embarrassing. I have   
been riding for a while, but never by myself. I'm not sure how I, I   
mean, how you are supposed to, you know-"  
  
Akio gave a small laugh. "Would you like me to help you saddle your   
horse?"  
  
"I've never actually done it myself," she said apologetically. "Would   
you mind?"  
  
Akio smiled. "Of course not. I'm here to assist the students in any   
way necessary." Internally, he frowned. He had been in a bit of a   
hurry. But no matter how much he had changed from what he had once   
been, he was still quite good at being chivalrous.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
"I really don't think this is necessary, Ohto-... Akio-san," Kyoko   
murmured, sure that her face was beet-red. She was quite uncomfortably   
aware of the warm, broad chest, just barely grazing her back.  
  
"Nonsense." Akio's breath was hot on the back of her neck. She   
shifted uncomfortably. "It wouldn't be right of me to let someone in   
your condition ride unsupervised, especially after yesterday."  
  
Kyoko *felt* the flush that time. "Kiryuu-san-"  
  
"My sister told me of your little lunch group. She seemed quite taken   
with you." His voice remained neutral, but there seemed a slight shift   
in tone.  
  
"She seemed very nice," Kyoko ventured. "Quiet, perhaps."  
  
"Yes, she is," Akio agreed, "which is why I take interest in those that   
she takes interest. It is a fairly unusual occurrence, and those few   
tend to be rather remarkable people."  
  
They had entered the trees now. Kyoko flinched as a branch barely   
missed scraping her cheek. "I am not a remarkable person, really," she   
said, her voice drifting slightly higher. She stiffen suddenly a long   
finger suddenly traced a path along her cheekbone.  
  
"Everyone here is remarkable, in some manner or another." He spoke as   
if instructing a small child. "Those who are chosen to come to this   
Academy stand out from the general public in some special way. This is   
a rather exclusive school, after all."  
  
Kyoko nodded, feeling as though her neck would snap with the movement,   
tight as it was. His hand still brushed her skin.  
  
"Those who are chosen to attend and choose to attend... well, everyone   
makes that choice for a different reason." He leaned forward, his face   
a breath away from hers. "I was wondering what made you decide to come   
to Ohtori."  
  
Kyoko swallowed, frozen. "I... well, I... I heard-"  
  
Someone suddenly screamed nearby, the sound echoing through the trees.  
  
Akio muttered something intelligible, kicking the horse into a swift   
canter. Kyoko clamped her fingers into the horse's mane.  
  
They burst into a small clearing. A large chestnut nervously pawed the   
ground by a fallen tree. Kiryuu Touga leaned frantically over a figure   
sprawled awkwardly on the ground.  
  
Akio was striding angrily towards the two before Kyoko even realized he   
had dismounted. She clambered out of the saddle, hurrying to follow.  
  
"What happened?" Akio demanded, pushing past Touga to get a better view   
of Utena. Her eyes were open but she seemed dazed, her breath coming   
in starts. She moved feebly, as if trying to push herself into a   
sitting position but uncertain of what to do. Kyoko stood off to the   
side silently, unable to do anything to help.  
  
"We were riding, she fell... it was an accident." Touga's perpetual   
calm was in pieces, but he kept his voice fairly steady nonetheless.   
He didn't look at the Chairmen, his eyes locked on Utena.  
  
In contrast, Akio was enraged. "How *dare* you-" He caught himself,   
took a breath, allowed his face to return to its usual collected   
smoothness. Turning to Utena, his eyes were measured. "Are you all   
right, my dear?"  
  
"He... didn't mean..." Utena's hand fluttered up to rest on his arm.   
She smiled weakly. "I'm okay... really..."  
  
Akio gently gathered her into his arms, cradling her as if she weighed   
nothing. Glancing back at Touga, his eyes glittered dangerously. "We   
will discuss this later." Mounting the black horse, he rode off at an   
even pace, careful not to jar his passenger.  
  
Kyoko, watched him ride off, awkwardly aware that her presence had been   
completely forgotten. Touga watched him as well, a soft sadness   
settling over his features.  
  
Pushing back a lock of hair that had strayed from her bun, Kyoko   
stepped towards Touga. "Are you okay?" she ventured.  
  
Touga turned, startled. Clearly, he hadn't even realized she was   
there. He gave a wry smile, completely devoid of humor. "I'm fine,   
*I* didn't fall off of the horse." He sighed and shook his head. "I   
didn't mean for this to happen."  
  
Somewhat surprised at his frankness, Kyoko kneeled down, joining him.   
"She didn't look like she was seriously hurt or anything. I'm sure   
she'll be fine."  
  
"Of course she will," he muttered under his breath. He studied his   
companion with sharp eyes. "What were you doing riding with the   
Chairman?"  
  
So he had seen. Kyoko flushed slightly. "Ohtori-san insisted."  
  
Touga's eyebrow quirked. "Most girls in your position would be   
thrilled." When Kyoko only shrugged, embarrassed, his look grew more   
thoughtful. "You don't like him then?"  
  
She fiddled with a blade of grass. "He makes me uncomfortable," she   
admitted.  
  
Touga gave small laugh. "If only others had your clear vision."  
  
"You don't like him then?"  
  
"I know him too well. I know that he only sees people as pawns in his   
little game. Even those who truly love him, or at least the image he   
projects." Touga sighed. "It used to be that I enjoyed such games   
myself. But these days, the cost just seems too high. And quite   
frankly, I'm tired of being toyed with."  
  
Kyoko briefly met his eyes. "Why are you telling me this? You don't   
even really know me."  
  
"Perhaps because I've been waiting to say that to the person for whom   
it truly mattered, and I lost my chance."  
  
"You really care about her then?"  
  
"I don't want to see her hurt by him. Or worse."  
  
Kyoko looked back at the ground. "Can I do anything to help?"  
  
"Not this late in the game. He has planned everything too well. He   
knows that I'll-" A sudden thought struck Touga. He looked back at   
Kyoko. "Have you ever fenced or practiced kendo?"  
  
Her eyes widened at the question, almost to the point of panic. "I did   
a little fencing a few years ago," she admitted hesitantly. "I never   
had any formal training, and I wasn't very good. I can't duel anyone."  
  
Touga's eyes narrowed. "How did you know what I was going to ask?"  
  
Kyoko clamped her mouth shut suddenly, as if she realized she had let   
something slip that she shouldn't have. Her eyes, seemingly colorless   
in the shade of the trees, were guarded.  
  
Seeing that he wasn't going to get any further answers at the moment,   
Touga stood and brushed off his pristine slacks. "Come on," he   
ordered. "I think we need to talk a little further. You may just be   
the one who can help me throw a wrench in his plans."  
  
Reluctantly, Kyoko stood, wondering what she had just gotten herself   
into.  
  
Neither of them saw a small jewelry box, lying forgotten in the dirt,   
or the shapeless shadow that hovered over it for a moment, before   
drifting away.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
"Are you sure that you are alright, Utena-sama?"  
  
Utena gave what she hoped was a comforting smile to her friend. "I'll   
be fine, Himemiya," she said soothingly, hoping it was convincing. In   
truth, everything ached with a dull but constant pain. She was sure   
her entire body was one big bruise. "I'm lucky I didn't break   
anything, really. I'm fine, really." The last comment was directed at   
Chuchu, who was solemnly examining a finger with one tiny paw.  
  
"Onii-sama will be glad to hear that. He was quite worried."  
  
Utena grinned. "I've never seen him so angry. I didn't even know he   
could get angry." Her smile softened slightly, and she looked at the   
ceiling. "It would seem that if someone could become so upset over   
such a little thing, that they must really care about that person,   
right?" The words felt awkward in her mouth.  
  
Anthy stood. "It would seem so," she agreed. "Pardon me, Utena-  
sama... I should go tell Onii-sama that you are doing better."  
  
However, as Anthy left the sleeping area, she instead headed to the   
kitchen, slipping off her glasses. A shadow, barely visible in the   
darkness, lounged on the wall.  
  
"So there is to be a duel tomorrow? Utena-sama won't be happy. I know   
she is in pain from the accident." A brief flash of sorrow brushed her   
features. She paused for a few moments. Then a smile lit her   
features. "Well, that should be interesting. Do you really think   
she'll be able to go through with it?" Another pause. "Yes, I think   
that would help. Still, Onii-sama won't be expecting that." Her smile   
faded. "Onii-sama... I have to go."  
  
She left the kitchen, still holding her glasses. She calmly paced   
towards the projector, towards the silhouette that waited for her on   
the couch.   
  
A hint of her smile returned. He really had no idea of the danger his   
careful plans faced. This *would* be interesting.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
{That shadow that she spoke to, that wasn't you, was it?}  
  
[I am the playwright, not the player. And this little drama is one   
that I am glad I am not a part of. There is pain both visible and   
hidden, and that which is hidden has endured more suffering than one   
soul has a right to bear. And yet, because of love it has been   
endured, and through love that pain will end and freedom will be   
gained. And that is the secret of how one becomes a prince.]  
  
{Really?}  
  
[Yes.]  
  
{Oh. Okay. Am I the shadow she was talking to then?}  
  
[...]  
  
{Just checking.}  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
Hopefully, readers are intrigued rather than confused at this point of   
the story. It is a rather twisted and secretive story, but things will   
be unveiled eventually. Of course, until then, things will only grow   
more twisted and secretive ^_^  
  
I do have to say that the little riding incident in episode 35 always   
made me think "what if?" What if Utena had found out the truth about   
Akio at that point in time? How would the series have been different?   
That speculation was actually the birth of the idea for this fanfic,   
though really none of those ideas made it into the actual story.  
  
Those who are familiar with the Utena manga may see a bit of that   
version of Touga in this story... I always liked that Touga more for   
his honesty with himself about his feelings for Utena. I think that is   
what the anime version of Touga became at the end of the series, though   
too late to truly redeem himself in Utena's eyes, or even to be   
believable.  
  
As for Akio, I really can see him losing his temper if a snag appeared   
in his plans, coupled with seeing Utena, whom he possibly could have   
loved if circumstances were different, injured. Of course, I also   
suspect that the other players in his game are deeply underestimating   
him at the moment ^_~  
  
Three parts left. Please feel free to send me any comments... I love   
reading them ^_^  
  
Lady Brick  
lady_brick@yahoo.com  
  
Disclaimer: I did not create Utena and do not own any of the   
characters. Though I doubt anyone thought I did. 


	3. Splintered Plots

{Once upon a time, there was a shadow. It was a really cool shadow,   
and it lived at a prestigious school called Ohtori Academy. And   
everyone told her their important plots and secrets-}  
  
[Will you stop that? I *told* you that shadow wasn't you.]  
  
{Why can't I be in the story?}  
  
[Do you really want to live in a world where everything turns on an   
axis that is the whim of a fallen angel? Do you want to live driven   
only by that which you can never possesses, under the illusion that it   
is almost within your grasp? Do you really want to struggle and suffer   
to reach the Ends of the World, only to find you are merely a butterfly   
in someone's mason jar?]  
  
{Hmm, when you put it that way... no.}  
  
[It is a painful existence, to live within someone else's dying dream.]  
  
{Isn't there any hope for them? They don't seem like bad people. I   
mean, they're really just children, aren't they?}  
  
[Children who can never grow up.]  
  
{Can't anything save them?}  
  
[Perhaps, if one can find the hidden meaning behind each story, each   
drama, each fairy tale. Perhaps there really can be a prince again,   
for more then just a fleeting instant.]  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
Shatter  
  
A Shoujo Kakumei Utena Fanfiction  
  
By Lady Brick  
  
www.mindeclipse.com  
  
Part 3 - Splintered Plots  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
"He really wants me to duel. I don't understand, why won't he duel her   
himself? He claims he wants to save her. And he was certainly willing   
to do it before, right?"  
  
"It seems that working with Ohtori has given him some insight into how   
this game works. He knows that she doesn't want him for her prince.   
And he knows that he wants to beat the Ends of the World at his own   
game, as much as he wants to win her."  
  
Kyoko threw herself back on her bed and sighed. She stared at the   
ceiling, as the shadows of the trees danced outside her window. "So?   
He's motivated then."  
  
"But his motives aren't pure. Hers are, they always have been. He   
won't be able to beat her, and he knows that."  
  
"But why me? He doesn't even know me! Where would he get such a   
ridiculous-" She broke off, staring accusingly at the ceiling. "You   
did this, didn't you?"  
  
"Don't you trust me by now?"  
  
"It... it's hard. Did you?"  
  
A soft sigh. "I may have nudged his thoughts in that direction, but   
the seed was already there."  
  
Kyoko's lip trembled slightly. "How could you do that? You know I'm   
scared to death of what could happen! It's bad enough that you brought   
me here, now this?"  
  
"I thought you were expecting this."  
  
"But I didn't think I would have to duel *her*!"  
  
"I'm sorry, I really am. But this is the only way. I know there is   
great risk in doing this, and Ohtori finding out is the least of it.   
But I don't think he will. And there's certainly no way for him to   
know that I am here."  
  
"Just saving your own skin, as usual." Kyoko's face immediately grew   
rueful, even shocked. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that. Really."  
  
There was a hint of pain in the response. "I know. Get some rest.   
You'll need it for tomorrow."  
  
The shadows on the ceiling shifted, becoming more hollow somehow.   
Kyoko rolled on her side, her face tight, her eyes focused on the gold   
figural rose on her hand.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
The soft night breeze sifted through Touga's hair as he walked slowly   
across the campus. It was deserted this late, which was fine with him.  
  
To the casual observer, he might have appeared to be wandering   
aimlessly, but in short time he found himself at the foot of the   
Chairman's tower, straining to see the windows at the top. He knew   
that she was most likely asleep by now, but somewhere inside, faintly,   
he hoped she would peer out, see him.  
  
It was ridiculous, of course. He should have seen the trap laid for   
him from the beginning. Tenjou-kun was the fulcrum on which the   
Revolution turned. It was clear now that none of the Student Council   
ever really had a chance to defeat her. She was in Ohtori's hands now.   
And, fool that she was, she actually believed she loved the man. And   
even more absurd, that he loved her.  
  
So why was he staking everything on some strange girl he hardly knew?   
It had seemed so clear when he had conceived of it: tossing in an   
element that Ohtori wouldn't expect, throwing a wrench in the works at   
this pivotal late point. But for it to work, she would have to win the   
duel. And he knew nothing about her, why she would even want to join   
in on this strange game that she somehow seemed to know a little too   
much about.  
  
He had decided to trust that little voice inside his mind, the one that   
told him it was the only way to save his princess. Kyoko seemed to be   
a nice enough girl, but nothing more. He would willingly toss her to   
the Ends of the World if need be, if it was the only suitable sacrifice   
to rescue Tenjou-kun.  
  
He only hoped he wasn't making a terrible mistake.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Anthy had been excused for the night, leaving Akio alone, sprawled   
across one of his plush white sofas, deep in thought.  
  
It had been a long time since he had felt even the tiniest movement of   
wind act outside of his control. And yet, earlier, he had been thrown   
completely off-balance. Tenjou should not have been in that accident.   
He should have been able to stop it. More importantly, he should have   
known it was going to happen. He knew, of course, what Kiryuu had   
planned to tell her on their little ride, and had thus planned to   
intercept them. But then the new student had shown up, and his   
attentions had been drawn away ever so briefly.  
  
Mawahisa Kyoko. The girl whose arrival had also caught him by   
surprise.  
  
That girl seemed to bear much closer watching than he had originally   
thought. Two portents, both involving her, was far beyond the realm of   
consequence. He knew she wasn't the one causing these... disturbances.   
She had been in his presence, and he had felt nothing of that sort of   
power within her. But something was using her as a focal point, a   
force that seemed intent on disrupting his plans, perhaps even stopping   
the Revolution.  
  
He wasn't worried, not really. He shaped this world within the world,   
it breathed with his own breath. No force, no matter how powerful,   
could keep him from gaining what he sought. And when that power was   
finally his...  
  
He needed to find out exactly why this girl was so important to those   
who sought to stop him. A small smile twitched across his lips. The   
girl was indeed quite lovely. It would be... enjoyable.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Kyoko had just changed into a pair of flannel pajamas when a soft knock   
at the door caught her attention. Grabbing a black robe from her   
closet, she quickly slipped it on before opening the door.  
  
Kiryuu Touga stood there, a slight smile on his face. He seemed   
oblivious to the surprising number of girls who had stuck their heads   
into the hallway to see whose room he was visiting this time.  
  
Kyoko blinked at him. "What in the world are you doing here?"  
  
Touga raised an eyebrow. "You keep your hair up even when you sleep?"   
She raised a hand defensively to her tightly coiled bun. "Aren't you   
going to invite me in?"  
  
Scowling, and flushing slightly at the giggles dancing up and down the   
hall, she stepped aside, allowing him to pass. He closed the door   
behind him, taking a seat on her bed.  
  
Kyoko defiantly plopped into her desk chair. "What *are* you doing   
here?"  
  
"Is there a problem with my being here? I just came to discuss the   
duel tomorrow." As if to contradict his words, he stretched out   
luxuriously on the bed.  
  
"What about it?"  
  
"Well, it's more of a warning, really. The circumstances of the duels   
can be bewildering to some... there is a somewhat... supernatural aura   
about them. Don't let that distract you at all. This is too   
important."  
  
Kyoko nodded, wordlessly.  
  
He gave a small laugh. "You really are an odd one, Mawahisa-san. You   
arrive at a new school, make no effort to instigate any close   
relationships, friendship or otherwise, and allow yourself to be pulled   
into a strange game of mysterious duels with no argument or complaint.   
One would almost consider that suspicious behavior."  
  
"So? What's your point?" Kyoko's voice was harsh, but with an   
underlying note of worry.  
  
Touga studied her face, a study of fatigue masked behind a sheath of   
ice. "Are you certain you wouldn't prefer to discuss this over here?"   
He indicated the empty space on the bed next to him.  
  
Kyoko's grasp on the desk chair tightened. "No thank you, I'm fine."  
  
"Really, no interest in either myself or the Chairman? Perhaps I   
should introduce you to Arisugawa."  
  
"Just because I don't immediately jump into bed with every guy I meet   
at this school doesn't mean that I'm-" She stopped suddenly.  
  
"You're what?"  
  
"Nothing, never mind. Besides, it's not like I ever said I didn't-"   
She stopped herself again. "Was there anything else you wanted to   
discuss, about the duel I mean?"  
  
He ignored the obvious reply, filing away yet another puzzle piece for   
later pondering. How did she know what he meant about Juri? He was   
fairly certain Kyoko hadn't met her yet... "No, not at the moment."  
  
"Then why are you still here?"  
  
Touga raised an eyebrow. "I've barely been here five minutes. You   
can't expect me to tarnish my reputation in such a manner, can you?"  
  
Kyoko stared at him before flushing and turning away from his lazy   
smile.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
The sun-warmed grass felt nice on her aching back. Utena lay on the   
ground, eyes closed, lunch forgotten. The pain of yesterday has   
softened, but everything was so darned *stiff*.  
  
"Tenjou-kun. I hope you're feeling better today?" Touga's voice cut   
through her reverie.  
  
Utena opened her eyes and pondered a response. He had seemed sincerely   
concerned yesterday after the accent, so her usual rude response seemed   
too... well, rude. She settled for an affirmative grunt.  
  
"I was asked to deliver this to you... I pray the timing isn't too   
inconvenient." An envelope with a conspicuous rose seal appeared in   
his hand.  
  
"It would seem that the timing is a lot more convenient for you, Mr.   
President," she replied slowly, voice thick with suspicion. "Is this   
another underhanded-"  
  
"I'm not going to be your opponent, Tenjou-kun."  
  
That caught her off-guard. "Who, then,"  
  
"That would be telling, wouldn't it?" The envelope fluttered into her   
lap. "I hope you're up to it. And I'm glad that you're doing better."  
  
Utena watched him walk away, somewhat confused at his change in tone   
with his last words. Why the hell couldn't he ever just be   
straightforward? Tying to figure out whose side he was on only left   
her with a headache and more questions.  
  
Sighing with annoyance, she ripped open the envelope.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
He was waiting for her at the gate. She had exchanged her uniform   
skirt for gray slacks, and kept having to force herself from fiddling   
with the buttons on the fitted blazer.  
  
Touga appraised her briefly. "Nervous?"  
  
She shrugged, then nodded, stepping towards the gate.  
  
"You won't be able to open that," he told her as her hand closed around   
the handle. "It's locked." However, as soon as the words fell from   
his lips, he heard the cranking of gears, the sudden splash of flowing   
water. He frowned slightly.  
  
"Is something wrong?" Kyoko asked, her expression too innocent.   
  
Glancing at her right hand, Touga saw it was bare; the odd figural rose   
ring she wore was on the left. "Nothing. I guess I was mistaken."  
  
The elevator ride was, as usual, almost painfully slow. Kyoko stood   
off to one side, the railing shadows cutting across her face. Touga's   
eyes remained focused on the roofs that drifted away from them, lost in   
thought.  
  
They finally reached the arena. Touga let Kyoko stare wordlessly at   
the castle that spun lazily in the sky, a slight uneasiness tickling   
the corner of his mind.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Utena arrived with the Rose Bride only moments later, in full duel   
regalia. She looked at Touga with suspicion, but her expression   
shifted to one of bewilderment when she saw Kyoko. "Hey, I remember   
you. What are you doing here? I thought you were sick or something.   
Is he forcing you to do this?" She jerked her head at Touga.  
  
Kyoko turned to study Utena for a moment before answering. Her smile   
was somewhat sad. "I'm doing this for my own reasons. Don't worry   
about me. I know what I'm doing." She gave a warm nod to Anthy, as   
the girl pinned a white rose to her blazer pocket.  
  
Utena sighed and shrugged. "If you say so. Not like anything I say   
ever convinces you people of anything."  
  
Kyoko gave a short laugh at that. She saw Anthy step towards Utena,   
then started as an arm gently snaked around her waist.  
  
"Just relax," whispered Touga.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
A soft light gently grew under his hand, shining though his fingers.   
He supported her carefully (how could he have forgotten about the   
attack she'd been having when he first met her?) The glow intensified   
as he tipped her backwards, and with a sudden burst of white, the   
handle of a sword, straight gold hilt and leather-wrapped grip,   
appeared beneath his hand. He wrapped his fingers around to draw the   
sword--  
  
He heard a scream. No, two screams. No, not heard precisely. One   
seemed to echo inside his head, as if an old recording were being   
played back inside his skull while he pulled out the sword. As it   
grew, he could hear that it was many voices joined in unison, shouting   
in unison, creating an almost hypnotic rhythm. He could almost make   
out their words--  
  
A tug on his arm broke whatever spell he had momentarily been under.   
At first he thought it was Kyoko taking her weapon, but she was still   
draped across his arm like a limp doll. His eyes widened in   
astonishment as he saw the sword itself, quivering in his grip, as if   
straining to escape. His gaze remained locked on the blade until   
Kyoko's hand closed over his. He silently relented the sword to her,   
watched her stride past the upright cars thrust through the arena floor   
that he hadn't even seen appear, his face a calm mask, an overwhelming   
sense of *wrongness* deep inside.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
"Himemiya, are you okay?" Utena gripped her sword firmly, looking   
worriedly at her friend. She was certain she had heard her scream a   
moment ago, but Anthy's face was as serene as ever now.  
  
"Utena-sama, be careful," was the girl's only reply, as Kyoko's blade   
sliced towards the rose on Utena's chest.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Kyoko slashed viciously at Utena, watching the younger girl dance out   
of harms way with a grudging admiration. Her next strike was equally   
fierce, though not entirely of her own choosing. The sword fought her   
grasp, and only by locking the muscles in her lower arm was she able to   
restrain it at all. This didn't make for very good control, but her   
wild attack did force Tenjou to remain on the defensive.  
  
"Hey, careful!" Utena yelled as one lunge brought the sword point   
inches from her nose."  
  
"Sorry, accident." Kyoko desperately shifted her grip, her next strike   
tearing through one of the uprooted cars as though it were made of tin   
foil.  
  
As if expressing its indignation at being wounded, the car's headlights   
flared to life, cutting through the sky to strike the castle far above.   
The other cars followed suit, throwing the spinning turrets into bright   
relief.  
  
Kyoko paused briefly to blink the blinding light from her eyes.   
However they refused to clear. A tightness grew in her chest. "Please   
not now," she whispered, bringing her free hand up to her chest.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Utena didn't notice Kyoko's antics, focused on the tiny figure   
descending from the castle on the sky, transparent cape fluttering   
behind. He stretched out his arms towards her...  
  
And stopped.  
  
Utena blinked. The apparition remained floating far above, not yet   
near enough for facial features to be distinguishable. He seemed to   
be... waiting?  
  
"Utena-sama! Something is wrong with Mawahisa-sempai."   
  
Anthy's voice snapped her back to the arena. Lowering her gaze, she   
saw the older girl clutching her chest, her sword arm shaking. "Hey,"   
she said tentatively, lowering her sword and taking a step forward.   
"Are you okay?"  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Kyoko saw the Rose Bride approach with the last shreds of vision. Her   
knees almost buckling, she felt the sword snap her arm up. Helplessly,   
it pulled her stumbling swiftly towards Anthy.  
  
There was an angry shout, and she felt the sword strike something.   
Taking a deep breath, the pain starting to lessen, Kyoko hesitantly   
opened her eyes.  
  
Anthy was sprawled on the ground, apparently pushed out of harms way.   
Kyoko's sword had sunk part way into Utena's shoulder. The last few   
petals of her rose, sliced in half by the blade, fluttered to the arena   
floor.  
  
"Oh no, I'm sorry," Kyoko croaked. "I didn't mean to..." Gently, she   
eased the blade out of the wound, wincing at Tenjou's hiss of pain.   
She continued to take deep breaths, the ache in her chest lingering.  
  
"What happened?" Touga had come forward to join the small group.   
"Tenjou-kun, your shoulder... We need to get you to a doctor right   
away."  
  
"I'm sorry," Kyoko muttered again, her eyes downcast.  
  
She was completely unprepared for the sharp blow that struck her in the   
face. She dimly realized that Utena must have hit her the same instant   
her head struck the arena floors, pounding stars through her vision.   
Fear quickly flooded through her as long fingers closed around her   
throat and began to tighten.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
She had lost.  
  
She had felt the rose explode against her breast, somehow even more   
clearly than the pain of the sword slicing through her flesh. But when   
the sword in her grip has disappeared, and the realization of what she   
had lost struck her, then the pain of the wound had shot through her,   
bringing with it an icy coolness that slid through her veins, straight   
to stab at her heart.  
  
She had lost.  
  
No, it was more than that. She had been robbed of the one thing that   
meant the most to her, the person who she had devoted to protecting   
from these mysterious forces that sought to toy with her like a puppet   
on a string. This stranger, this thief, this... *witch* had appeared   
from nowhere, feigned helplessness, and coerced everyone into pitying   
her, just to slip in and destroy everything she had worked for.  
  
So it seemed perfectly natural to be throttling the life out of the   
lying, scheming witch, digging her fingers tight into the older girl's   
neck and watching her face turn red, futilely struggling to break free.  
  
"Tenjou-kun!" A strong hand clamped down on her shoulder, trying to   
pull her away. She responded by driving an elbow hard into his   
stomach. With a choked gasp, she was released.  
  
She noted that Mawahisa's struggles were becoming weaker. She bore   
down even harder.  
  
Someone shook her gently. "Tenjou-san, what are you doing? Please   
stop this!"  
  
Without looking, Utena struck out hard. There was the sound of   
something breaking, and a sharp pain lanced across her hand.  
  
She suddenly snapped back to herself. What the hell was she doing?   
Shaking, she let go of Mawahisa and backed away. The girl lay gasping,   
bringing one hand up to her throat, where bright red marks stood out   
sharply against her pale skin.  
  
Turning, she saw Anthy crouched on her knees, one hand to her face, her   
glasses lying in pieces next to her. That must have been what had cut   
her hand.  
  
Which meant she had hit Anthy.  
  
"Himemiya..." The smaller girl didn't look up at her. "I'm sorry, I-"   
She choked off a sob. She couldn't look at kneeling there any longer.  
  
Turning, she ran from the arena.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Touga watched Tenjou flee the arena. He considered going after her,   
but his bruised torso spoke against it. Whatever had brought about   
that uncharacteristic burst of violence, she would most likely want to   
be alone for now, and wouldn't appreciate his intrusion. He winced   
slightly as he rubbed his stomach. Tenjou was a lot stronger than she   
looked.  
  
He left Anthy to gather up the remains of her glasses, moving to check   
on Kyoko. She seemed to be breathing fine now, but her right eye was   
swelling from Utena's first punch, and there were bruises circling her   
throat. Her eyes were open, staring. At first he thought she was in   
shock, but he quickly realized she was simply staring at the castle   
overhead, where the ghostly figured had hovered only a few minutes ago.  
  
"I'm sorry," she whispered hoarsely, a strange echo of Utena. "I   
didn't mean for this to happen." She struggled to sit up, and Touga   
helped her. "Himemiya-san?"  
  
"Yes Kyoko-sama?" Anthy stood, a small smile as she faced the new   
victor?  
  
"Could you please wait for me at my dorm? I have to take care of   
something. Don't go back to the tower."   
  
Anthy nodded and left the arena.  
  
"I don't think Tenjou will attack her again," Touga mused as he helped   
the girl stand. "Whatever caused her to-"  
  
"It was the sword."  
  
Touga paused. "What?"  
  
"The sword. Where is it?" She glanced around, only to find it was   
still in her hand. It no longer tried to move in her grip, but she   
still looked at it darkly. "It was a mistake. I have to destroy it."  
  
Touga blinked at her. Whatever half-formed plans he had had for this   
duel, things had spun way out of his control. He didn't like it at   
all. "What do you mean the sword made Tenjou act the way she did?"  
  
"It... poisoned her, in a way. But she should be fine now." Shakily,   
she strode towards the arena wall.  
  
"Okay. For the moment I will take your word on that." His voice was   
thick with sarcasm. "But what are you-" He broke off when he saw her   
pull her sword arm back. "I don't think that is-"  
  
Kyoko drove the sword into the large stone blocks with all her might.   
It shattered impressively, metal splinters falling to the ground with a   
gentle ringing sound.  
  
Kyoko promptly fainted.  
  
Sighing, the beginnings of a headache coming on, Touga strode over to   
the unconscious girl, easily hefting her limp form. Obviously, he'd   
have to wait for any answers.  
  
He paused when he reached the elevators. Being the president of the   
Student Council, he had many freedoms the other students didn't.   
However, he doubted even he could return a beaten and unconscious girl   
back to her dorm without some kind of investigation or repercussions.   
And after the stunt he had pulled here, he couldn't count on any help   
from Ohtori in this matter. Or perhaps any other from this point on.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Akio lowered his opera glasses as Touga entered the elevator, leaving   
the arena deserted. The herd of cars slowly sank back into the floor,   
leaving it smooth and perfect as ever.  
  
Well. The result of this duel would certainly require a bit of   
adjustment to his plan, but it was of little consequence. He had   
recognized Mawahisa's sword from the instant it was drawn. Judging   
from her reaction, Anthy had as well. It seemed that Kyoko was   
determined to keep his sister away from him, so he wouldn't be able to   
confirm his suspicions immediately. If he was correct, it was   
certainly a brilliant move against him. But could he really expect   
anything less from his own flesh and blood?  
  
He heard the soft chime of the elevator door, and the quiet breathing   
of Utena, trying to stifle her sobs. He really should go offer comfort   
to the distraught girl. His delicate princess.  
  
But later, he would go for a drive. And he planned to have some   
special company this time.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Anthy sat in a plush chair in the hall of the dorm, unperturbed by the   
puzzled stares of the students who came and went. Her eyes focused on   
the door to Kyoko-sama's room. Kyoko-sama. She felt a slight twinge   
of sadness for Tenjou, who had seemed so upset when she ran off. But   
she would understand eventually that this was all really for the best.  
  
She was again rubbing the bridge of her nose, trying to adjust to the   
absence of her glasses, when a soft "chu" went off in her ear. Turning   
her head, she saw the small animal clinging to the side of her chair, a   
long shadow trailing behind him.  
  
"ChuChu!" she said happily, gathering him in her arms. She glanced   
back at the shadow, which remained hovering on the wall. "Thank you   
for bringing him. I was getting a bit lonely." She hesitated. "If   
you see Kyoko-sama before I do, please thank her for me."  
  
The shadow swirled in acknowledgement, then disappeared back down the   
hall.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Touga had laid Kyoko down in one of the larger spare bedrooms when he   
arrived home, since she had shown no signs of waking anytime soon. He   
hadn't seen Nanami around, which saved him from having to give   
explanations he didn't have. Kyoko's head had lolled awkwardly on the   
pillow, so he had carefully unpinned her pale hair, a task he had more   
then a little experience with. Leaving her, he went to the kitchen to   
get an icepack for her black eye and a glass of water for when she   
woke.  
  
He was a bit confused at how he felt about the outcome of the duel.   
Certainly, he wanted Tenjou out of Ohtori's grasp, removed as victor   
from the duel Revolution. He had thought this girl was a possible key   
to unlock Tenjou's cage, and he had acted accordingly. And yet the   
circumstances were such that he felt that *he* was the one being played   
for a fool in this situation. He doubted that Ohtori would risk   
everything on an unknown girl, so who else was manipulating the   
strings?  
  
Left with too many unanswered questions, a situation he disliked   
greatly, he headed back to the guest room.  
  
He was surprised to see Kyoko was beginning to waken already as he   
stepped into the room. A floorboard creaked under his foot and she   
jerked upright like a shot, pale hair tumbling down he shoulders. She   
stared at him with wide eyes, still fogged with the confusion of sudden   
consciousness.  
  
Her eyes had always been oddly shadowed before, but he could see them   
clearly now. Her deep, familiar, frighteningly blue eyes.  
  
"Gods," he whispered, glass plunging from limp fingers to shatter on   
the floor. Staring at her, he vaguely realized that perhaps for the   
first time in his life, he was completely at a loss for words.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
{Wow. That was... interesting.}  
  
[Illusions often are, especially once one sees what lies behind them.]  
  
{And will that happen anytime soon?}  
  
[Of course. Even in a world of make believe and fairy tales, rules   
must be followed. The witch's spell will be cured by a kiss, and the   
frog will once more become a prince, and the villain will be revealed   
for what he is.]  
  
{But will there be a happily ever after?}  
  
[Maybe. I can't guarantee it. But I'll try.]  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
And things twist even tighter. I promise that everything will be   
explained in the next two parts, especially all seemingly OOC behavior,   
and hopefully all readers will have plenty of bursts of realization.   
Some people probably suspect what is going on at this point already,   
but hopefully there will be enough surprises left for everyone ^^;; I   
really can't comment on anything specifically in this part, except I   
feel a little bad for Touga at this point.   
  
Comments and critiques are encouraged as usual.  
  
Lady Brick  
lady_brick@yahoo.com  
  
Disclaimer: I did not create Utena and do not own any of the   
characters. Though I doubt anyone thought I did. 


	4. Threads Knot

[You didn't start without me?]  
  
{Nah. I'm really too confused at this point.}  
  
[Once upon a time, a girl who wished to be a prince lost everything she   
  
held dear to another girl, one who she believed was a witch. But like   
  
many who desired to save the princesses of the world, the would-be   
  
prince was a fool. She couldn't see what lay beyond the masks that   
  
most people wore, and thus became merely a pawn in the games of   
  
others.]  
  
{That sounds like a very tragic fate. That isn't how the story ends,   
  
is it?}  
  
[The game is not over yet. Both sides still have to move into position   
  
for the final round. And that battle will determine the fate not only   
  
of the prince, but of countless souls tangled in the same wicked web.]  
  
{And what are these two sides?}  
  
[Good and evil, of course. Or so they see themselves. The true faces   
  
of the players has yet to be revealed.]  
  
{True faces?}  
  
[Hidden by masks and shadows, lies and fairy tales. They think they   
  
are hiding from the world, but they are only disguising the reflection   
  
they themselves see.]  
  
  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Shatter  
  
A Shoujo Kakumei Utena Fanfiction  
  
By Lady Brick  
  
www.mindeclipse.com  
  
Part 4 - Threads Knot  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
"H-how..." Touga groped failingly for words as he stared into the   
  
girl's face, framed by long pale hair she had kept so carefully pinned   
  
up. He could see why now.  
  
"What's wrong?" Kyoko asked, her voice still slightly groggy. "What   
  
are you... oh no." Her eyes still locked on his, she raised a hand up   
  
to her hair. She sighed, lowered her head. "Damn it."  
  
In two long strides, he was across the room, grabbing her shoulders,   
  
shaking her. "Did Ohtori do this? Is this his idea of a joke? I   
  
swear I'm going to find that bastard and-"  
  
"No, please!" Her voice rose in pitch, twisting his heart. Those blue   
  
eyes, one blackened from Tenjou's wild punch earlier, pleaded with his.   
  
"You can't tell him. He mustn't know."  
  
He slowly released her. "He probably does already. I don't know how   
  
you did this, but this *is* his school."  
  
"He can't know. And if he does... well, Tenjou-kun is free from him,   
  
at least."  
  
"I doubt it's that easy." Touga sank down on the side of the bed.   
  
"She loves him, you know. She's a blind, pathetic fool who can't even   
  
see a snake for his skin."  
  
"Do you really love her?"   
  
He remembered she had asked him her first day at the school, and he had   
  
given her one of his usual flippant, twisted answers. It had only been   
  
a few days ago, really. The world seemed to have turned upside down   
  
since then, parts of it starting to fall away. The words, brutally   
  
honest, pulled painfully from his throat. "Yes, I love her. I think I   
  
have ever since I first saw her. And I hate her for it."  
  
"So you found it easier to use her?"  
  
His voice was harsh. "You mean, if I had always kept my motives hidden   
  
behind a mask of geniality, than I could have been the demon she loved   
  
now instead of Ohtori?"  
  
Kyoko flinched at that, turned away. Touga's fingers caught her chin,   
  
drew her back.  
  
"So, Victor of the Duels, who does your heart belong to?"  
  
"My heart?"  
  
He placed a long-fingered hand on her chest, above her left breast.   
  
She started visibly, but didn't push him away. "Your heart. I can   
  
feel it beating in there. Whom have you given it to?"  
  
"No one."  
  
"Really."  
  
"It isn't mine to give."  
  
"Well, then it must belong to someone." He leaned in closer, his   
  
breath rustling through her hair. "Is it me?"  
  
"I didn't come here to love anyone." Her voice was much less firm than   
  
before. "It's not my duty."  
  
"So it was taken against your will. It happens." His lips approached   
  
hers. An instant before they touched, she turned away.  
  
"This isn't right," she protested hoarsely. "What about your   
  
'princess'?"  
  
He laughed into her cheek. "I think I can say quite certainly now that   
  
she is no one's princess. Nor do I think I want her to be. Perhaps   
  
someday we can just be a boy and a girl, in another world. But while   
  
we are trapped in this one..."  
  
His mouth found hers. Any protests she may have had were quickly   
  
drowned out.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Utena lay curled on her bed, sobbing. Its mate sat empty, cold next to   
  
her.  
  
What had she done? She never wanted to hurt Anthy. She had fought   
  
with everything she possessed to prevent that. And yet, she could   
  
still feel the hardness of the Rose Bride's cheekbone etched into her   
  
palm. The memory of cool metal eyeglasses clung to her fingertips.   
  
And Anthy's absence was perhaps the most telling evidence. She had   
  
lost her friend, in more ways than one.  
  
"Utena-san, is something wrong?" The deep voice startled her out of   
  
her tears.  
  
"N-no, nothing." Her voice caught, betraying her.  
  
"No, there is something..." Before she realized he had moved, he was   
  
seated on the edge of the bed, outstretched fingers pressed slightly   
  
into the mattress. "Where's Anthy?"  
  
"She... I... We had a fight," she managed finally. It was close enough   
  
to the truth. "I don't know where she is."   
  
Akio's laugh came from nowhere. "Is that all? One quarrel has you   
  
this upset?"  
  
"I'm afraid that-"  
  
"Anthy will come back. She always does. You needn't worry about   
  
that."  
  
"But I-"  
  
"Utena-san. Look at me." Hesitantly, she did. "Anthy is my younger   
  
sister. It's my duty to protect her. If I thought that you had truly   
  
done anything to harm her, do you really think that I would be here   
  
comforting you?"  
  
Utena tried to answer, but couldn't. How could she live with him   
  
knowing what she had done to Anthy? She closed her eyes as he stroked   
  
her hair, unresisting.  
  
"Utena-san, you have a pure, good heart. The fact that you are this   
  
distraught over a small fight proves that. Now, let's see if we can't   
  
dry those tears of yours..."  
  
Akio bent over, his lips pressing gently against the younger girl's   
  
cheek. He felt her stiffen as his tongue darted out, tasting her   
  
salty-sweet tears. His mouth curving upwards, he shifted his weight   
  
further onto the bed, making himself more comfortable.  
  
It was almost too easy to pull the right strings.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Anthy sat curled comfortably in the chair in the hall. She rubbed the   
  
sleep from her eyes, unused to the empty space in front of them. It   
  
was amazing how much clearer her vision was. She smiled softly at Chu-  
  
Chu, still asleep in her lap.  
  
Part of her wished she could have gone back to the tower after the   
  
duel, to let Utena know she wasn't upset, that she was still her   
  
friend, if Kyoko-sama would allow it. Which she was sure she would.   
  
But she knew Kyoko-sama's judgment was sound in this matter. It was   
  
too dangerous for her, especially at this delicate point of the game,   
  
where everything balanced on the tip of a hair.  
  
Could Kyoko-sama and her benefactor really defeat her brother? The   
  
signs pointed in that direction. His world was crumbling around the   
  
edges. But she had known her brother for a very long time, was   
  
intimately familiar with the powers he wore. Yet even they were less   
  
of a danger than the crafty mind that wielded them. But the shadows   
  
knew this as well.  
  
Either way, the final duel would be an interesting one. She could   
  
hardly wait. But wait she must. Fortunately, she had developed a   
  
nearly infinite patience a long time ago.  
  
She knew it would be a while before Kyoko-sama returned.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Kyoko awoke slowly. It took several minutes for her surroundings to   
  
fade into place. A bedroom in the Kiriyuu house, softly colored in the   
  
morning sunlight.  
  
Touga was still asleep next to her. She studied his face for a moment.   
  
He looked younger without the weight of his normal calculated persona,   
  
or even the quiet desperation he had momentarily let slip last night.   
  
She allowed a soft smile in his direction, albeit a sad one, and then   
  
quickly dressed.  
  
There was a quiet moment of panic when she realized that she had no   
  
idea where Touga had placed her hairpins. They were nowhere in sight,   
  
and she had no intention of waking him to ask. She briefly considered   
  
checking his sister's room, remembering Nanami's elaborate hairstyle,   
  
but rejected that idea immediately.  
  
She settled for looping her hair back in a loose bun, hoping it would   
  
hold until she made it back to her room. She could speak with Himemiya   
  
and-  
  
Himemiya. She had told her to wait at her dorm room. She must have   
  
been sitting outside all night.  
  
Kyoko left in such a hurry she didn't even notice her gold ring, the   
  
petals glistening in the morning light, half buried in the tangled   
  
sheets.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Utena woke alone in her bed. She laid there for a while, unmoving,   
  
thoughts empty except for a few fragments of dreams she couldn't   
  
remember.  
  
Finally, she pulled herself out of the bed. She saw the dress almost   
  
immediately, draped across the empty bed next to her. There was a   
  
piece of paper lying on top. A note.  
  
She picked it up, read it. She bit her lip, blinked away tears.  
  
She dressed and left the bedroom, crossing past the planetarium   
  
projector to take a seat at one of the twin white sofas.  
  
There she waited, twisting her rose crest ring around and around her   
  
finger, wondering if she should take it off. Her mind was troubled,   
  
but all she could do now was wait.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Exiting the Kiriyuu mansion, Kyoko glanced around, searching her memory   
  
for the direction of the dorms. It had been so long...  
  
"Lost?" The silky voice made her heart skip a beat.   
  
She turned to see Akio, his car purring near-silently like a giant cat   
  
ready to pounce. His mouth curved in a half-smile at her startled   
  
glance.  
  
"No, I was just heading back to the dorm. I'm fine."  
  
"Get in. We need to talk." It wasn't a request.  
  
Kyoko hesitated a moment, and then stepped towards the car. The   
  
passenger door opened as she approached, and she slid into the seat,   
  
the white leather surprisingly warm, as though someone else had just   
  
gotten out.  
  
The door slammed shut seemingly of its own accord and the car leapt   
  
forward. Kyoko barely managed to clamp a hand onto her hair as the   
  
scenery around them blurred with speed. She tried to ignore Akio's   
  
laughter.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
The familiar roaring of the car engine jerked Touga out of sleep. He   
  
hurried to the window, just in time to catch a glimpse of Akio speeding   
  
away with a pale haired figure next to him.  
  
"Damn it," he muttered, angrily shoving tousled hair out of his face.   
  
What the hell was she doing?  
  
As he turned away from the window, a metallic glint among the sheets   
  
caught his eye. He picked it up. It was her ring.  
  
He frowned, turning it over in his hands. A rose, be it the stylized   
  
symbol of Ohtori Academy or the lifelike gold creation in his hand, was   
  
still a rose. His own rose crest was both a key to the world of the   
  
Duelists and a collar whose leash was held by the End of the World.   
  
This rose ring didn't seem to be either (he remembered how the gate to   
  
the arena opened at the touch of her bare hand; it all made sense now)   
  
but symbol of choice couldn't be a coincidence. It had to be   
  
important.  
  
And if it were as important as he thought, she wouldn't be careless   
  
with it. She must have left it as a message.  
  
But what did it mean? What did she want from him?  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
He knew. He had to know. Why else would he have been waiting for her?  
  
"That's quite a black eye," Akio said conversationally, his eyes never   
  
leaving the road.  
  
What was she supposed to do, thank him? Instead, she pushed herself as   
  
far away from him as she could without the armrest on the car door   
  
gouging her side, her fingers still tangled in the hasty knot of hair.  
  
"You know, of course, that fighting isn't permitted among the   
  
students," he continued.   
  
"It was just... a misunderstanding."  
  
"Hmm. Be certain you are more careful in the future, then."  
  
"I will." Except she wasn't going to have a future.  
  
"Besides, it's a shame to mar such a lovely face." He reached over and   
  
lightly brushed her bruised cheek, laughing as she jerked at his touch.   
  
"You really hate me, don't you?"  
  
"Yes," she blurted out, the forcefulness startling her. Then, calmer,   
  
"Yes, I do."  
  
"Good."  
  
She finally turned to look at him, confused.  
  
His eyes were back on the road. "There is such a thin line between   
  
hate and love. You never know when you may unknowingly cross over."   
  
The car drifted slightly to the left, as if to emphasize his words.  
  
"I'll be careful then."  
  
He laughed again. A few notes so rich and carefree. "You'll never   
  
change, will you?"  
  
He knew. He had to know.   
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Touga headed for the door, the ring clenched in his hand. Ohtori would   
  
probably head to-  
  
"She forgot the ring, didn't she?" The voice was soft, female. There   
  
was a sigh. "What a fool."  
  
"Who are you? What are you doing in my house?" demanded Touga. He   
  
looked around, but saw no one. The voice sounded strangely familiar,   
  
but he couldn't place it.  
  
"You also seem to want to know where I am. Which question should I   
  
answer first?" Her tone was rather mocking.  
  
"Fine, where are you?" He crossed his arms impatiently. He didn't   
  
have time for this!  
  
A bundle of shadows slipped out of the entryway and drifted across the   
  
wall. "Here I am."  
  
Touga blinked. This was rather unexpected.  
  
"Let me ask again. She left the ring?"  
  
He wordlessly extended his hand, letting the ring catch the light.   
  
"What is it exactly?"  
  
"I'm sure you've figured that out. It's a Key."  
  
"To the dueling arena?"  
  
"To the Ends of the World."  
  
The sharp intake of breath hurt his stomach, still slightly bruised.   
  
Could it really be so simple, right in the palm of his hand? "To crack   
  
the world's shell..."  
  
"To turn a page," the shadow corrected. "To shatter the shell that   
  
surrounds this world, you must destroy its creator."  
  
"Ohtori," he muttered.  
  
"Yes." Was that pain her heard in the mysterious voice? "And now that   
  
she has misplaced her Key, she's going to need your help."  
  
"I'm ready."  
  
"Just remember it is the fate of a prince to sacrifice his life for the   
  
sake of a Revolution. Now here is what you must do..."  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
The world around them had faded to darkness while she wasn't looking.   
  
The road stretched before them and behind them into seeming infinity,   
  
only the passing of routinely placed streetlights showing that they   
  
were actually moving at all. Kyoko wondered randomly if any of the   
  
lights ever burned out, and how anyone would find them to change the   
  
bulb.  
  
"Where are we going?" she finally asked. The silence had been grating   
  
on her.  
  
"The Ends of the World."  
  
  
  
"Isn't that you?"  
  
"It's a name. It can refer to many things. How did you enter the   
  
Academy?"  
  
She thought for a moment, decided there was no harm in telling him.   
  
"The front gate."  
  
He nodded. "The usual way. Of course, how you entered without my   
  
knowledge is another matter, but we can discuss that later. That was   
  
the beginning of this world. We are headed to the end."  
  
"What about the castle at the dueling arena then?"  
  
He shrugged. "Stage decoration."  
  
"You're lying."  
  
"As you wish."  
  
In the distance, Kyoko could see a metallic glint. It was minute, but   
  
in the expansive darkness, it stood out like a beacon.  
  
"The wonderful thing about creating your own world," Akio began   
  
conversationally, "is that you may shape it according to whatever rules   
  
you wish. From previous experience, the path of the Prince and the   
  
Princess was the one I knew best. Of course, there never was a real   
  
Princess, just a Witch dressed up in her clothes. It was a flawed   
  
journey, but it is that flaw on which this entire world is crafted   
  
around."  
  
The light was growing closer, but slowly, so slowly compared to the   
  
speed at which they were traveling. Kyoko suspected that they wouldn't   
  
reach it until he had finished his tale.  
  
"He always knew that she was a Witch, but she was also his sister. He   
  
loved her, wanted to protect her. Perhaps even more than he wanted to   
  
protect the world that really needed him."  
  
"You have a funny way of showing it," Kyoko muttered.  
  
Akio didn't seem to hear. "And that is the greatest mistake in Man's   
  
design. They never want what they actually need, or in most cases, can   
  
ever achieve. The Prince was no more human than the Witch, but his   
  
compassion for them infected him with their weaknesses. He saw their   
  
emotions and let himself feel them. And hence his downfall."  
  
The light was taking a shape now, an archway. They were almost there.  
  
"But no matter how hard people strive for what they think they need, it   
  
will only destroy them in the end. They fight a battle that they can   
  
never win, blinded by their desires. They believe they have the   
  
capability to change the world into what they want, to bring about a   
  
revolution and make things better, if they reach far and hard enough."   
  
His tone was amused. "They are all fools, every single one. They just   
  
didn't know it until I brought them here."  
  
The car slowed, rolling to a smooth stop. The archway stood in front   
  
of them, looking out of place in the empty blackness surrounding it.   
  
It was similar in style to the entrance of the dueling arena, with a   
  
large sculpted rose at the top of the arch, but it was crafted entirely   
  
of what appeared to be steel. Lights and indistinct shapes flickered   
  
within.  
  
Kyoko started as Akio opened the passenger door and offered a hand to   
  
help her out. She hadn't even seen him leave the car. She ignored   
  
him and stood by herself, brushing past.  
  
"You can peek through if you really want," he said, though his tone   
  
made the offer sound more like an order. "But you'll have to trust me   
  
to tether you to this world. You won't want to get trapped on the   
  
other side."  
  
Kyoko trusted Akio about as far as she could throw his car, but she   
  
allowed him to take her hand. She knew that those who had taken this   
  
journey had come back changed somehow, that Touga must have been here   
  
before he began working for Ohtori. She wanted to know what would   
  
affect people so much, make them behave the way they did.  
  
With Ohtori keeping a firm grip on her hand, Kyoko stepped up to the   
  
portal. She hesitated for only a moment, and then stepped through-  
  
failurepainlosslonelinessemptygonealonerejectedbrokenheartemptytears  
  
blacknessagonydispaircryingnauseousforgottenforsakendarknesshopeless  
  
sorrowmockedmangledbetrayedbeatenlongingragehurtvoidleftbehindcold  
  
paralyzeddesolatefoolishblindedsilencenumbdispondentbatteredanguish  
  
voidshatteredhollowabandonedlostdestroyedEVERYTHINGLOSTYOUNEVERHAD-  
  
Something was pulling her back. It took her a moment to realize it was   
  
Akio pulling her back into the silent blackness. She touched her face,   
  
stunned. It was covered in tears. Her hand was shaking.  
  
As much as she hated him, despised everything he had done and   
  
everything he stood for, she sobbed into his chest, soaking his white   
  
jacket, bleeding out everything through tears. He stroked her hair   
  
silently.  
  
"Now do you see?" he asked her after she had calmed down and pulled   
  
away from him. "Everything you felt, that's what awaits people who   
  
leave this world. Absolute failure to gain what is most precious to   
  
them. Isn't it better here, where they can at least keep the illusion   
  
that it may one day be theirs?" His voice softened as he spoke, and   
  
the longing in his expression made him look almost childlike.  
  
"That's not the real world," Kyoko said, so forcefully it surprised   
  
her. "Not everyone suffers like that."  
  
"But many do," he replied patiently. "I've seen it. I tried to help   
  
them. And trapped in their pain and anger and hate, they could only   
  
destroy everything I had in return."  
  
Kyoko shook slightly, and put a hand to her heart, as if in pain.  
  
"Those who have made this journey, seen what you have, they went back   
  
to fight for the power of Revolution with everything they had, to   
  
prevent what they experienced here from ever coming to pass. What will   
  
you do?"  
  
Kyoko stood. Her face was pale under her tangled hair, she trembled   
  
slightly, but her expression was resolute. "I'll fight, but for the   
  
same reasons I came here."  
  
"Which is?"  
  
"To destroy this charade you've created. You may really think that   
  
you're helping people, I don't know. But you're just hurting them, and   
  
it has to stop." Her eyes flashed. "And I'll be the one to stop you."  
  
Akio laughed lightly. "Very impressive indeed. The mantle of the   
  
Prince suits you quite well." His eyes bored into Kyoko's. "But at   
  
heart, you're still just an idealistic fool, Tenjou Utena."  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
{...I don't get it.}  
  
[When the masks are finally discarded, the true face can be so   
  
horrible, so beautiful, so shocking, that no matter how much one longed   
  
for the truth, they will at least briefly want their ignorance   
  
returned.]  
  
{The real world... is it really as bad as he said?}  
  
[Some convince themselves that it is. They may even convince others   
  
too. But it depends on the path that one walks, and everyone chooses   
  
that path of their own accord. The real world is what you make of it.]  
  
{It still sounds scary. And hard.}  
  
[You'll see for yourself soon enough. This fairy tale is winding down,   
  
and the world will never be the same when it is over.]  
  
{What happens next?}  
  
[Who knows? If you read a book, and are unhappy with the ending, can   
  
you really hope to start again at the first page and expect a different   
  
ending?]  
  
{That sounds like a riddle... Well, you could if you were the writer,   
  
right?}  
  
[Exactly. The fate of the fairy tale will fall to whoever holds the   
  
pen when the last word is written. And that is the true secret that   
  
one must know in order to bring about a revolution and destroy a   
  
world.]   
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
One of my main goals in writing this story was to make sense of what   
  
those who had taken a ride into the darkness with Akio had really seen.   
  
I hope my interpretation was believable for everyone else. Thanks to   
  
thesaurus.com for the assist.  
  
As for the rest, whatever doesn't make sense will (should) be explained   
  
in the next part, the final part. It's gonna be a doozy!  
  
Comments and critiques are encouraged as usual. If posting a review on   
  
fanfiction.net, please don't include spoilers.  
  
Lady Brick  
  
lady_brick@yahoo.com  
  
Disclaimer: I did not create Utena and do not own any of the   
  
characters. Though I doubt anyone thought I did. 


End file.
